"The Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the facts in question, having determined that a medico-legal autopsy be carried out in the context of an investigation that has been launched in due course", confirmed the Attorney General's Office, after being questioned by Lusa.

The case was revealed this Thursday by Correio da Manhã, which published a video, posted on social media, showing an 86-year-old woman lying on a bed with dozens of ants on various parts of her body.

The same newspaper states that the elderly woman died a month after this episode, which took place last July.

The Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Boliqueime, announced through Facebook, that it had opened an investigation in the alleged case, which it classified as "serious negligence".

The private institution specified that the "inquiry of a disciplinary nature" was determined after having become aware of the video shared on social networks.

"Having learned last week that one or some of its employees did not guarantee adequate care to a user, (...) it determined the initiation of an inquiry (...) to determine who is or are responsible for this unacceptable situation and will be relentless in punishment", reads the document.